Gryffindor King: A Study in Evil: Gryffindor's Return
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: AU. When the Marauders find Godric Gryffindor's crypt, they decide to bring him back to life. But will this be then beginning of a dark decent for one them? Part of 1 of 3 part collab for The Houses Competition.


**House/Team: Badgers**

**Subject: Care of Magical Creatures**

**Category: Bonus**

**Prompt: (setting) crypt**

**Word count: 1,552**

**Warnings: AU, creature death, out of character for James.**

**Chapter 1/3**

The cold darkness of the crypt reached into James Potter's very soul as he waited for his friends to arrive. They'd all agreed that finding the old crypt of Godric Gryffindor was a fine adventure, and it had been. Plus there was a legend saying only truly courageous person or persons could bring Gryffindor back to life. James, of course, wanted to try to bring Gryffindor back.

_"We have to find the hidden path," he remembers himself saying. "Only the brave can reach Gryffindor's crypt. We're brave. Aren't we?"_

_"Are you sure we should do this, Prongs," Peter said, a slight quake to his voice that had made James wonder how the boy was ever sorted into Gryffindor in the first place. "Anything could go wrong!"_

_"Are you afraid, Wormy?" Sirius asked in a teasing manner. A bark-like laugh left his mouth as he ruffled Peter's hair. "Maybe you should stay here and let us get the glory? Huh?"_

_Peter had bristled at this. He was as brave as any of the other three. "I don't want to be left out. I'm coming too!"_

_"Then come on," James called rushing off into the woods. He was impatient to get this adventure under way. "We don't have all night, guys."_

Hearing the sounds of footsteps on the concrete stairs leading down into the crypt a smile crept on James's face. He knew his friends would get here eventually. He knew that, like himself, they couldn't stay away.

"You're late," he called out without bothering to see who'd joined him. It could have been anyone who'd entered the crypt, but he knew it was the other Marauders. "Did you get Snivelous to give you the ingredients for the resurrection potion?" It felt strange asking Snape for help, but he'd sucked it up and done it anyway.

"Yes," Remus replied, something akin to disagreement in his voice.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sirius asked warily. "What happens if something goes wrong?"

James sighed in annoyance. "Why did we bother even finding this place if we're not even going to try to resurrect Gryffindor? What was all that hard work getting here for if not for the purpose of bringing him back to life?"

"Maybe we should take this slow," Remus suggested. "We have the ingredients, but maybe we need to talk this through a bit more.. This is blood magic we're dealing with after all."

"I'm done thinking things through," James said. "Besides, it's my blood that's being used for the ritual. You are either with me, or you are against me. So what is it going to be?"

There'd been no argument after that. None at all. Just a grudging agreement between them all.

_They'd gotten through more traps than James had thought a place could possibly have. Animals meant to attack and keep people out. Sphinxes whose questions got harder by the minute. A potions' task that would have stumped even Snape. Then the last task. The hardest of them all. _

_"What is it?" Peter asked warily, watching the movement of the creature. It seemed to be prowling and watching them from afar._

_"It's a test of bravery," James answered, not looking at Peter. "If we're brave enough we'll be able to get past the creature." He looked at Peter. "Do you think you're brave enough, Wormy?"_

_Peter nodded nervously._

_James moved forward, but the creature charged forward blocking the path. A muttered curse left him as he turned to Sirius. With a nod, he urged Sirius forward._

_Sirius looked towards Remus and signaled. The two of them rushed forward, but the beast blocked their paths._

_"None of us can get past," Remus sighed. "What now?"_

_"Maybe the task isn't to get past," James mused, knowing what he was about to suggest was wrong._

_"Maybe it's anyone brave enough to kill the creature? Who wants to do it?"_

_"Maybe we should…"_

_"But we could…"_

_Before anyone could talk James out of his decision, he acted. The killing curse tumbled off of his tongue like he'd performed it before. He was pretty sure that he'd never used an unforgivable curse before but watched in morbid shock and curiosity as the creature fell to the ground. It was clearly dead, so why did he not feel guilty about killing this creature?_

_"Now that's resolved," James said, feeling like something was tempering his grief for the creature, "We need but to open the door of the crypt." _

_He pointed towards the derelict dark building he'd ever seen in his life. It was made of obsidian and ruby stones. The doors were inlaid with gold. But something felt off about the building. It felt like something, or someone, was drawing him forward. Something was waiting for him in that crypt. Or someone._

"Let's just get it over with," Peter shuddered as he looked around. "This place doesn't feel right. It feels odd."

"Wormy's right, Prongs," Remus said. "Something feels dark about this place."

"Are you afraid too, Remus?" James folded his arms over his chest. "Why even bother coming here then? What about you, Sirius? Are you scared too?"

"No, I'm not scared!" protested Sirius.

"It's not fear," Remus replied firmly. "It's more caution. I mean what do we really know of Godric Gryffindor besides his founding of Gryffindor house? Perhaps we should research some more."

"Or we can just trust that nothing could go wrong here."

In the end they'd agreed to research some more about Gryffindor. They'd left everything there in a neat pile in front of Gryffindor's coffin - the potion ingredients and everything else they needed to perform the ritual.

It wasn't that hard for James to sneak away from the others the next few nights and begin to brew the potion. They'd all come to the same agreement eventually, so he figured no one would have a problem with him starting the potion. A smile spread across his face as he placed the last ingredient in the potion.

"One more night," he told the contents of the coffin in the crypt. "One more night and you'll be alive again, Godric Gryffindor."

But as the students and teachers of Hogwarts slept that night, something strange was happening in the cold darkness of the crypt. A skittering sound was heard as a grey rat raced through the crypt. It knocked into the finished potion with enough force to send it flying towards the coffin in the middle of the crypt.

A flash of red and gold rent the night air before everything simmered down and went back to normal... except for the sounds of the coffin lid sliding aside.

The next afternoon, James and his friends returned to the crypt. As they walked in and found the mess that had been the potion, they didn't take notice of the crypt's occupant.

"I think I may have done something stupid," James muttered as he saw the empty coffin.

"I don't think so," came the voice of an older man from the shadows. "Are you the brave ones who have brought me back?"

The four fifth years stared at one another as one thought ran through each mind. _How are we going to explain this one to Dumbledore?_

"What do we do now?" Peter asked as he watched the dark-haired Godric walk forward. The man looked like a carbon copy of James, to be honest.

"Perhaps you can show me to the castle, young ones," Godric suggested in a friendly-sounding voice. "Then we can figure things out from there, alright?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. But at least two out of the five in the group walking through the Forbidden Forest were having second thoughts.

"What are your names, brave boys?"

"James Potter."

"Sirius Black."

Remus Lupin."

Peter Pettigrew, sir."

"Thank you, boys."

Meanwhile, a nasty plot was forming in the mind of Gryffindor, one that he hoped would test these boys' friendship. Test and weed out the weak of heart. He could already tell the Black boy would be a hindrance to his plan what with his knowledge of the family. The lycan proved a problem all on his own. The Lupin boy seemed to think something was off about him from the start, or so it seemed. The Pettigrew boy seemed easy to control which was good. He needed a person like that for his plans. If they broke so be it. If not, some of them would be the next step of the plan. Especially this James Potter. The boy bore an uncanny resemblance to Gryffindor himself, which lead the teacher to believe he was one of his descendants. That would help bond the blood magic he needed for the plan. He really wouldn't feel sorry if Sirius Black and James's other two friends were to fall out of favor with him. It would only make James easier to control in the end.

"Professor Dumbledore," James called out, seeing the Professor standing at the door of the Great Hall, "We have someone you have to meet. This is Godric…"

"Smith," Godric supplied. "I'm here to become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... if the position hasn't been filled yet that is."

"We'll have to discuss it," Dumbledore nodded, holding the door open. "But for now let's have lunch. Shall we?"

**Part one of a three piece collab. ****Gryffindor King: A Study in Evil - Secrets and Flames written by KeepSmiling1 and ****Gryffindor King: A Study in Evil - A True written by Willowohwisp**


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